The invention relates to a target for the sputtering cathode of a vacuum coating apparatus, having a frame at least partially surrounding the sputter material for the purpose of holding the plate-like target on the cathode plate or back plate, and having an intermediate layer of soft material having good thermal conductivity, and a method for its manufacture.
In order to achieve better cooling in the cathode sputtering of the target, DE-A-36 03 646 discloses use of clamps or prongs to fix a plate-like target on the cathode base plate, which is generally provided with water cooling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,298 discloses a target arrangement for a cathode sputtering apparatus having an enclosed cathode configuration, with a target body which can be coupled by a releasable fastening means to a cooling system, a separating membrane being provided between the target body and the cooling system, which is connected on the one hand to the cooling system and on the other hand to the target body by separate fastening means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,298 also discloses a sputtering cathode which operates on the magnetron principle, having a cathode body which is equipped with a sputtering surface, and a target having a circumferential surface. Behind the target there is provided a magnet system with poles of opposite polarity lying within one another for the production of magnetic lines of force which issue from the target and, after passing through arcuate paths, re-enter the target. The marginal areas of the target lying outside of the erosion zone sputtering surface are covered by a prolongation of the dark space shield running parallel to the sputtering surface and having an inner margin. The dark space shield is electrically floating and is separated from the target by a gap which is so great that no plasma can ignite between the target and the dark space shield, so that only the exposed target is sputtered.